Stooker



Oct. 14 1924.

N. H. CAUFIELD STOOKER Filed June 2, 1922 Oct. 14 1924.

1,51 1,505 Nf. H. CAUFIELD STOQKER Filed June-2, 192?. 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct I4 1924. 1,5l',505

N, H. CAUFIELD sTooKER Filed June 2, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oei. 34 1924. 1,51L505 N.' H. CAUFIELD 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 N. H. CAUFIELD Oct. 14 1924.

STOOKER Filed June 2 192.2

Cil

Patented @et 14, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,511,505 PATENT OFFICE.

STOOKER.

Application led June 2,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN HOWARD CAUFIELD, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stookers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in stookers, and the object of my invention is to devise a stooker adapted to form the sheaves delivered to it from the binder in a quick and practical manner and to then dump the stooks in a vertical position with the maximum of elliciency, which is autonatic in operation, simple in construction and free from complexity, and in which the number of parts is reduced to a minimum, thereby enabling` it to be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost and to be maintained with the minimum of expense.

I attain this object by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the stooker, in the sheaf-receiving position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is an end view.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the basket just before dumping.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the basket after dumping and just before returning to the normal position.

Figs. 6 and 7 are views illustrating the supporting of the fork plate during return of the basket to normal position.

Fig. S is a side view looking on the inner side of the sprocket driving gear.

Fig. 9 is an edge view of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an end view of the fork plate and levers, the frame being in section.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail view of a cani, in elevation.

Similar .numerals of reference indicate t similar parts throughout the several views.

1 indicates a horizontal frame, substantially U-shaped, on which the machine structure, now to be described, is mounted, which frame is provided on the side remote from the binder with a vmain traction wheel 2, the opposite side of the frame being connected to the binder by any suitable means so that it travels along with the binder when the same is in operation, as will be well understood. Secured to the traction wheel 2 and rotatable therewith. is a Sprocket Wheel 1922. Serial No. 565,347.

3 chain-connected to a sprocket 4 rotatably mounted on a shaft 5 rotatably mounted on the traction wheel side of the frame 1 in. a bearing 6 secured to the frame. The sprocket 4 has fastened to it on its inner face a clutch 7 formed out of a disc arranged concentrically on the sprocket and dished on its inner face to form an inwardly extending rim 8, in which rim is cut a number of spaced notches 9, there being preferably twelve such notches, forming clutch teeth with any of whichl a spring-pressed pawl 10 pivotally connected to an arm 11 secured to the shaft 5 may be engaged when required, as more fully described later, the opposite end of which pawl is extended at right angles, as at 12, and this extended end 12 is normally engaged by the end of a lever 13 fulcrumed on an arm 14 extending substantially at right angles to the arm 11 and integrally connected to it, the opposite end of the lever 13 normally resting on a laterally movable spring-pressed rod 15 mounted on the front end of the frame, and when the lever 13 is thus engaging the rod 15 the pawl 10 is held out of engage nient with the clutch disc 7, the shaft 5 being then stationary. The rod 15 may be with drawn laterally by any suitable means, such as a bell crank 16 connected to the rod and suit-ably supported on the frame, the bell crank being operated by means of a rod 17 led to within easy reach of the operator on the binder.

18 and 19 indicate stud shafts secured in brackets 20 and 21 secured respectively on opposite sides of the frame, which shafts extend inwardly and on which are rotatably mounted respectively sleeves 22 'and 23 each of which sleeves is provided at its inner end with a plate bar, 24 and 25, which bars lie normally vertical when the machine is in thonormal or sheaf-receiving position, as'sliown in Fig. 1,' and to the upper and lower ends of these bars upper and lower side bars 26-27 and 28-29 are secured. The upper bars 26 and 28 are substantially horizontal while the lower bars 27 and 29 are inclined upwardly towards the rear, that is, when the machine is in the normal position, and the rear ends of these bars are bent inwardly so that the bars are closer together at their rear ends than at their front ends and thus the sides of the basket taper inwardly towards the rear, the sides being formed by the .Side plates 30 and. 31.

connected directly at their rear ends to the rear ends of the bars 26-27 and 28-29 while their front ends are connected to vertical bars 32 and 33 connecting the front ends of thebars 26-27 and 28-29. The upper edges of the side plates 3() and 3l are turned over at right angles to form out* wardly extending -lianges or lips 34 and 35, as shown in Fig. 2, and secured tothe side plates adjacent their rear ends on the inside are plate springs 36' and 37 curving inwardly into the interior of the basket, whichsprings act to exert a slight side pressure on the stock, as will be referred to later.

To the bars 32 and 33 are secured vertically arranged L-shaped brackets 38 and 39V the upper ends of the vertical portions of which lie substantially in the same plane as the lips 34 and 35 of the sideA plates and to these vertical portions 40 and 41 are pivoted the lower ends of normally vertical bars 42 and 43 between which is secured a concaveconveX plate 43a which forms the front closure plate of the basket, that is, the front whenv dumping, and these bars are automatically swung about their pivoted lower ends to carry the front plate to open or close the basket by means of bars, indicated generally vby the numerals 44 and 45, the upper ends of which bars are freely connected to the bars 42 and 43 while their lower ends are freely mountedon a shaft 46 one end of which is secured to a crank arm 47 secured on the inner end of shaft 5, which shaft 46 extends transversely of the machine and has its opposite end secured to a crank arm48 secured to a shaft 49 similar to shaft 5 rotatably mounted in a bearing 50 secured to the opposite side of the frame l. The' bars 44 and 45 are divided intermediate their length into lower and upper sections 51-52 and 53-54, the lower sections being provided with slots 55 towards their' upper ends through which slots extend laterally pins' 56 and 57 secured to the lower ends ofr the upper sections while the upper sections are provided with slots 58 through which extend laterally pins 59 and 60 secured to the lower sections' adjacent their upper eX- tremiti'es, the pins being headed to hold the upper and lower sections together yet permitting the `upper sections to be longitudinally' movable on the lower ones so thatby the insertion of springs 61 and 62 between the upper ends ofthe upper section slots and the upper ends of the lower sections, which springs are under' compression when pressure is exerted on the inside of the front closure plate, the closure plate is yieldably supported on the bars 44 and 45 and thus undue pressure on the closure plate is relieved when in the act of compressing the sheaves in the basket.

The bottom of the basket, that is, the bcttom when dumping, consists of a plate 66 formed substantially like a fork, although it may be made solid if desired, which plate is arranged t9 hang vertically in front of the open or wide end of the basket when the latter is horizontal, and it is attached freely Y at its opposite sides adjacent its upper edge to two normally horizontal side bars 64 and 65 fulcrumed intermediate their length and nearer to their rear ends on pins 66 and 67, which pins are rigidly secured to av 'suitable part of the basket supporting structure, such as the side extension plates, one of which is indicated by fthe numeral 68, there being one such bar secured tothe respective plate bars 24 and 25'. The rear, or free endsof the bars 64. and 65 are connected respectively by links 69 and 7() to pins7l andv 7 2l secured to l the arms 73 and 7 4 of bell cranks 75 and 76 rockably mounted on the stud shafts 18 and 19, the links 69 and 70 being slctted, as at 77, lto* receive the pins' 71 and 72, as will be more particularly referred to hereinafter, while to the opposite arms 78 and 79` of the bell cranks are connected the ends' of levers 8O and 8l the opposite ends of which are freely mounted onl shaft 46. Secured to the sides of the frame l forward of the basket and projecting inwardly are brackets 82 and 83 on which are pivotally mounted vfor upward tripping latches 84 and 85 arranged to be tripped by the fork-supporting bars 64 and 65 at a desiredl po-int in the operatic-n of the basket and to resume their normal position to temporarily support the bars when the latter drop on the latches, as' will be more fully described later.` The latches are returned to their normal position after tripping by means of springs 86 and 87', as shown in Fig. l0.

The bell cranks7 5 and 76 are each provided with an additional arm 8'8- and 89 respectively, which arms normally extend forwardly and are inclined. downwardly, to which arms are freely connectedv levers 90 and 91 the opposite ends' of which are freely connected to levers 92 and 93 intermediate the length of these levers, the' shorter' ends' of `levers 92 and 93 being pivote'd to the lower side b-ars 27 and 29 while their opposite ends? extend forwardly andl are freely connected' to the' forward ends of bars 94 and 95 which are disposed longitudinally' of the machine just below the lower edges of' the side plates 30 and 3l and lie` substantially at the same inclination as these lower edges, the rear ends of the bars 94 and 95 being freely connected tothe lower ends of levers 96 and 97 the' upper ends of which latter levers are freely connected, as at 98, to the rear ends of the upper side bars 26 and 28 respectively. 'Extendingbetween the bars 94 and 95 andi rigidly :secured toy them'vv is a concave-convex plate 99, which forms the bottom plate of the basket when horizental and the back plate when damping.

Secured to the side bars 26-27 and 28-29 between the rear end of the basket and the plate bars 24 and 25 are bars 100 and 101 each provided with an outwardly projecting pin 102 and 103 respectively freely connected to which are links 104 and 105 extending upwardly vand forwardly the opposite ends of which links are freely connected to the ends of levers 106 and 107 fulcrumed on brackets 108 and 109 secured vertically to the frame 1 on opposite sides of it, these levers lying normally in a horizontal position and having their free ends engaging in the grooved peripheries of cams 110 and 111 secured leccentrically on shafts and 49, the Cams also being secured to the crank arms so that they move concurrently therewith. The cam grooves are indicated by the numerals 112 and 113 respectively.

Each cam is formed substantially heartshaped, as shown more particularly in Fig. 11, to which reference should now be had, with the pointed end facing forwardly when the basket is in the horizontal or sheaf-receiving position, and the point of the cam lies normally on a horizontal axis ab taken through the centre c of its cam shaft 5, or 49 as theV case may be, the rear length cw on the axis being shorter thanl the Jforward length cb. The centre c is eccentric with respect to the centre (Z which is the true cam centre and the rear end portion ef of each cam is formed, as to its periphery, as a t-rue semi-circle the cent1-e of which is the centre d so that this portion ofthe cam periphery is eccentric to the cam shaft, its ends terminating at e and f on a vertical axis taken throughthe cam centre d. The rupper forward-portion cb of the cam periphery is continued to the point as a true curve the centre of which is the shaft centre c so that this portion is concentric with the shaft and travels through a true circle as the shaft is rotated. The remaining lower forward portion fb of the cam extends from the vertical axis ef to the point b in a curve eccentric to the shaft centre c and the cam centre 0l, the centre of which curve lies on a vertical axis taken through the cam centre d at a point near the upper end of the axis so that this curve isv considerably flatter than that of the upper peripheral portion d), all as shown in Fig. 11.

The lower ends of the bars 42 and 43 are provided with short extensions 114 and 115 spaced from the bars and forming with them jaws, indicated by the numeral 116 in Fig. 1, within which the upper edge of the fork plate 63 normally rests while to the lower side bars 27 and 29 are secured stop members 117 and 118 adapted to engage'the lower members 119 and 120 of the frame 1 when the basket is in the horizontal position.

The stocker operates in the followingmanner: In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the basket is shown in the open position ready to receive sheaves from the binder, the front closure plate 43a being raised and the basket operating mechanism being out of operation. As the stocker is carried along by the binder the traction wheel 2 and sprocket 3 rotate continuously so that the sprocket 4 also rotates continuously, but freely, on the shaft 5. On a sufficient number of sheaves being deposited in the basket the operator actuates the rod 17 and crank 16 to withdraw the rod clear of the lower end of the lever 13 whereupon the lower end of the lever swings downwardly, raising the upper end clear of the extension 12 of the pawl 10, sothat the pawl drops into one of the teeth 9 of the clutch 7, being carried into engagement therewith by means of the spring with which it is provided, being spring-pressed, as hereinbefore stated. As the pawl is secured to shaft 5 this shaft is then set in motion, carrying round in a forward direction the cams 110 and 111, the crank arms 47 and 48, and the shaft 46, the basket at the same time swinging round on the stud shafts 18 and 19 until it reaches a substantially vertical position, being assisted in its swinging movement by the rearward movement or thrust of the levers -and 81 which swing the bell cranks 75 and 76 on the stud shafts, and while the swinging movement of the basket it taking place the front closure plate 43a is being swung down to close the front of thebasket by its bars 44 and 45 which are actuated bythe moving shaft 46 as it is carried round by the crank arms, so that when the basket reaches the vertical, or dumping position, the front closure plate is disposed between the side plates 30 and 31 a sufficient distance to bear on and compress the sheaves against the back plate 99 to form a compact stook, undue strain on the plates being prevented, however, by the provision of the springs 61 and 62. In this position the remaining sides of the stook are slightly held under the compression of the plate springs 36 and 37 which are then bearing on the sheaves towards their upper ends so that the head of the stook is ered up, as it were, all round and bunched into a neat form. During this movement of the basket from the horizontal position to the vertical the cams and 111 are carried round with the crank arms through the curve dista-nce f?) and being eccentric as described they depress their respective levers 106 and 107 until these levers, with their links 104 and 105, are in position to hold or brace the sides of the basket temporarily against further swinging movement, when the point-s of the cam will be then bearing on the levers. This is shown in Fig. 4.

The basket, therefore, being in the vertical position, loaded, with the stook resting What I claim as my invention is zl. In a stooker, the combination with a main frame, of a fixed axis secured to said frame, a sheaf-receiving basket comprising a pair of normally horizontal side plates pivotally mounted on said axis and upper and lower plates forming the top and bottom closure plates of the basket when horizontal and the front and back plates when vertical, said'top cl-osure plate being normally in the open position, a suitably supported plate forming the front end closure plate of the horizontal basket and the bottom closure plate when vertical, said plate forming a platform on which the stook is supported, mechanism the operation of which tilts the basket about the said fixed axis to a substantially vertical position while closing the top closure plate, withdraws the said platform to depositthe stook and raises the back closure plate to clear the stook and then returns the back closure plate, the platform, the basket, and the top closure plate to their normal positions, means for operating the tilting mechanism, levers fulcrumed to the frame on opposite sides of the basket each connected at one end to it, and means whereby said levers are caused during the tilting movement of the basket to assume a position to maintain it tilted during the withdrawal of the platform and the back closure plate.

2. In a stooker, the combination with a main frame, of a fixed axis secured to said frame, a sheaf-receiving basket comprising a pair of normally horizontal side plates pivotally mounted on said axis and upper and lower plates forming the top and bottom closure plates of the basket when horizontal and the front and back plates when vertical, said top closure plate being normally in the open position, a suitably supported plate forming the front end closure plate of the horizontal basket and the bottom closure plate when vertical, said plate forming a platform on which the stook is supported, mechanism the operation of which tilts the basket about the said fixed axis to a substantially vertical position while closing the top closure plate, withdraws the said platform to deposit the stook and raises the back closure plate to clear the stook and then returns the back closure plate, the platform, the basket, and the top closure plate to their normal positions, means for operating the tilting mechanism, levers fulcrumed to the frame on opposite sides of the basket each connected at one end to it, and means whereby said levers are caused during the tilting movement of the basket to assume a position to maintain it tilted during the withdrawal of the platform and the back closure plate, said means being adapted to permit return of the levers to their normal position as the basket is returned to its horizontal position.

3. In a stooker, the combination with a main frame, of a fixed axis secured to said frame, a sheaf-receiving basket comprising a pair of normally horizontal side plates pivotally mounted on said axis and upper and lower plates forming the top and bottom closure plates of the basket when horizontal and the front and back plates when vertical, said top closure plate being normally in the open position, a suitabl)7 supported plate forming the front end closure plate of the horizontal basket and the bottom closure plate when vertical, said plate forming a platform on which the stook is supported, mechanism the operation of which tilts the basket about the said fixed axis to a substantially vertical position while closing the top closure plate, withdraws the said platform to deposit the stook and raises the back closure plate to clear the stook and then returns the back closure plate, the platform, the basket, and the top closure plate to their normal positions, means for operating the tilting mechanism, levers fulcrumed to the frame on opposite sides of the basket each connected at one end to it, and means operating concurrently with the mechanism aforesaid whereby the said levers are caused during the tilting movement of the basket to assume a position to maintain it tilted during the withdrawal of the platform and the back closure plate, said means being adapted without cessation of operation to maintain the levers in the assumed position during the operation of the said plate and to then permit return of the levers to their normal positions as the basket is returned to its horizontal position.

4. In a stooker, the combination with a main frame, of a fixed axis secured to said frame, a sheaf-reoeiving basket comprising a pair of normally horizontal side plates pivotally mounted on said axis and upper and lower plates forming the top and bottom closure plates of the basket when horizontal and the front and back plates when vertical, said top closure plate being normally in the open position, a suitably supported plate forming the front end closure plate of the horizontal basket and thel bottom closure plate when vertical, said plate forming a platform on which the stook is supported, mechanism the operation of which tilts the basket to a substantially vertical position while closing the top closure plate, withdraws the said platform to deposit the stook and raises the back closure plate to clear the stook and then returns the back closure plate, the platform, the basket, and the top closure plate to their normal positions, means for operating the tilting mechanism, levers fulcrumed intermediate their length on the frame on opposite sides of the basket, a link connection between one end of each lever and the basket, and an ecllO I of the platform and centric camfor the opposite end of each lever operating concurrently with the mechanism aforesaid adapted to move the levers to assume a position to maintain the basket in the tilted position during the withdrawal back closure plate and to permit return of the levers to normal position as the basket returns to its normal position, each said cam having a concentric portion designed to roll on its respective lever without moving it during the withdrawal of the platform and back closure plate,

5. In a stooker, the combination with a main frame, of a fixed axis secured to said frame, a sheaf-receiving basket comprising a pair of normally horizontal side plates pivotally mounted on said axis and upper and lower plates forming the top and bottom closure plates of the basket when horizontal and the front and back plates when vertical, said top closure plate heilig normally in the o ported plate orming the front end closure plate of the horizontal basket and the bottom closure plate when verticalsaid plate providing a platform on which the stook is supported, mechanism the operation of which tiltsthe basket about the said fixed axis to a substantially vertical position while closing the top closure plate, withdraws the said platform to` deposit the stook andthe back closureplate to clear the stook and then returns the back closure plate, the platform, the basket, and the top closure plate to their normal positions, means for operating the tilting mechanism, and means whereby the return of said platform to its normal position is delayed for apredetermined interval during the return movement of the basket.

6. In a stooker, the combination with f a main frame, of a fixed axis secured to said frame, a sheaf-receiving basket comprising a pair of normally horizontal side plates pivotally mounted on said axis and upper and lower plates forming the top and bottom closure plates of the basket7 when horizontal and the front and back closure plates when vertical, said top plate being normally in the open position, a pair of normally horizontal platform bars fulcrumed on opposite sides of the basket, a plate extending between the forward ends of said bars forming the front end closure of the horizontal basket and the bottom closure plate when vertical providing a platform on which the stook is supported, mechanism the operation of which tilts the basket to a substantially vertical position while closing the top closure plate, operates said bars to withdraw the platform to deposit the stook and raises the back closure plate to clear the stook and returns the back closure plate, the platform, the basket, and the top closure plate to their normal positions, means for operating the en position, a suitably suptilting mechanism, latches carried by the frame adapted to be tripped by the platform bars on the platform withdrawal movement and to intercept them on their return movement, and means included in said mechanism whereby the bars are carried through a predetermined distance to clear the latches. i

7 In a stocker, the combination'with ay main frame, of a fixed axis secured to said frame, a normally horizontal sheaf-receiving basket pivotally mounted on said axis and normally open on one side to receive the sheaves and providedl with a closure plate whereby the said open side may be closed, said plate being capable of passing between the basket side walls, means for tilting the basket about the said fixed axis.

to a substantially vertical position while movingv said closure plate between the basket walls to compress the sheaves into a stook, said means being operative to tilt the basket back to its normal position after a vpredetermined interval and to move said plate to open it as the basket-returns, means for supporting the stook in the vertical position in the closed basket, means for spreading the supporting means to deposit and clear the stook, and spring means carried by the basket walls between which the stook is sprung as the closure plate compresses it.

8. In a stocker, thecombination with a v main frame, of a fixed axis secured to said frame, a sheaf-receiving basket comprising a pair of normally horizontal side plates pivotally mounted on said axis and upper and lower plates forming the top and bottom closure plates of the basket when horizontal and the front and back closure plates when vertical, saidl topplate being normally in the open position, a pair of normally horizontal bars fulc'rumed on opposite sides of the basket, a plate hung ward ends of said bars and swingable rearwardly as to its lower end forming the front f end closure of the horizontal-basket vand the vbottom closure plate'when -vertical providing the top closure plate, yraises said bars to withdraw the platform to deposit the stook and the back closure plate to clear thestook and returns the back closure plate, the platform, the basket, `and the `top closure plate to their normal positions, and means whereby said bars are intercepted and held in a raised position on their return movement to delay the return of the platform to its normal position.

9. In a stocker, thecombination with a main frame, ofl a fixed axis secured to said frame, a sheaf-receiving basket comprising a pair of normally horizontal side plates between the forpivotally mounted ou said aXis and upper and lower plates forming the top and bottom closure plates of the basket when liorizontal and the front and back closure plates 5 when Vertical, said top closure plate being normally in the open position, a suitably supported plate forming the front end Clo- QWW @1f/Wr www "f MHN,

the basket, and the top closure plate to their normal positions, means for operating the tilting mechanism, and means Jfor preventing tilting of the basket pasttlie substantially vertical position, said means comprising stop members carried by the basket arranged to Contact with the main frame Coin- 

